INTRODUCING THE ULTIMATE RIDDLE RACE

The Ultimate Riddle Race is an exciting competition between thirty teams in Calvert County who are racing to solve puzzles, complete challenge challenges, and collect clues to become the Ultimate Riddlers! At the same time, we are raising crucial funds to support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation and support the more than 3 million Americans impacted by these diseases. Watch our exciting event trailer here! This year's race is on September 19th, 2020. 

Update 7/22/20: Despite uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, our event will proceed in a modified form adhering to ALL social distancing guidelines and safety precautions. We are EXCITED to give our community a fun & challenging event that teams will be able to safely particiapte in from their cars! The challenges, riddling, scavenger hunting, and obstacles that make the Ultimate Riddle Race the most exciting event in Calvert County are here to stay! No two Ultimate Riddle Races have EVER been alike, and this year's event promises to be even more unique, but your support, enthusiasm, and thinking caps will be more important than ever this year, and we hope you're ready to race! We have summarized some of the additional changes and ways we are keeping all our participants safe below -- please scroll down to "Schedule & Race" for this information, and if you have any questions please email grussell13@comcast.net....we need you to register ASAP!!

It would be impossible to quickly sum up the Ultimate Riddle Race, but here's our best shot:

• Teams compete to solve puzzles, search for clues, complete activities and arrive at the finish before time runs out. At the end of the race, we celebrate with a great party – food, adult beverages, live entertainment, raffles, and of course prizes for our winning and most spirited teams.
• I can solve puzzles, but I’m not sure about the challenges….No bungee jumping, but you may have to recite a poem, run a gentle obstacle course, move marshmallows on a straw or take a short trip in a kayak. Not all members of a team perform all challenges, so it is possible to get through without doing anything physical.
• Teams receive their Riddle Book at the start of the race. The riddles may be in the form of riddles, puzzles or something completely different. All Riddle sites are within Calvert County. The Riddle Book contains valuable information to solve puzzles. Pay attention! Anything could be a hint!

REGISTRATION

One team captain should click "Form a Team" on this webpage. During the registration process, you may register additional teammates, or you can share your team page and have others join you at another time. Each riddler is $50 and includes a Riddle Race t-shirt, after party dinner, door prize tickets, and all the fun of the Riddle Race! The registration fee will be added to your fundraising webpage to jump start your fundraising efforts! T-shirt sizes and incentives are guaranteed until August 15, so please register as soon as possible. The maximum number of teammates is the maximum legal number of people who can fit in one vehicle (i.e. a 7-person minivan may have 7 total teammates). If you'd like to register more than one team you may do so, however each team must have a different team captain.

FUNDRAISING

While there is NO required fundraising to participate, we are aiming to raise more than $55,000 to support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation this year! As team's raise funds (each participant on a team contributes to the team goal), you have the opportunity to earn important hints & clues during the race that will assist your team -- this includes phone hints, extra Riddle Books, fast passes, and a coveted skip a Riddle option! You have the opportunity to self-donate these amounts during registration, but we also have all the tools you need to easily hit and exceed your fundraising goal, and will be there to help you every step of the way!

NEW THIS YEAR, upon registration, each participant will get their own fundraising webpage that they can customize with photos, their story, and more. There is also BUILT-IN Facebook Fundraising to make it even easier! If you have any questions about the fundraising process, please feel free to reach out to Brett Curtis at bcurtis@crohnscolitisfoundation.org or 646-584-1513.

HONORED HERO

Our 2020 Ultimate Riddle Race Honored Hero is Grace Campbell! You can learn more about Grace, her story, who she thinks will win this year's race, and more by watching our Facebook Live interview located here. Grace will be sharing more about her story & why she's excited to participate in the Ultimate Riddle Race here shortly, as well as during our event!

SCHEDULE & RACE

Kick-Off Party

We will still have a Happy Hour Kick-off Party – However this will be done via zoom and each team will host their own Happy Hour. We will set up a zoom call about 1 week prior to the race. At least one team member is encouraged to attend. At the Party you will have the opportunity to learn about this years race, earn an extra phone a hint, and have an opportunity to ask questions. Teams with full team attendance on their zoom call will earn a blue or orange clue of their choice.

We will also be asking teams to download an app for this years race. This app will be used for the scavenger hunt portion of our race. We will go over these instructions with everyone at this time. This app will allow you to upload pictures and videos and allow us to calculate your totals automatically. (FYI – There will still be a validation by our judges after the race, so it is possible that the scores you see when you finish, could be different if an item is deemed unacceptable). Teams will be able to view each others progress with the scavenger hunt items as they race.

Registration

Race Day registrations, payments, waivers, donations, will all have to be made NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 13th. Race order and Packets will be determined prior to race day and the starting order will be announced the day before the race via email and FB post. You will also be given the Riddler specific information to track our Riddler that day. Form your teams with people that you have been around and are comfortable with regarding their current health. We will ask that all teams do a personal health check that day, and please stay home if not feeling well. Each team will receive Event Masks, Hand Sanitizer and other goodies to make this a fun, safe event. T-Shirt sizes will be given out according to the order in which people registered. We hope to fit most sizes.

After Party

We will be unable to have the After-Party as planned, as we are not allowed to have that many people together in one location. Out of respect for participants who may have concerns with having a large gathering even if it is outdoors, we are changing our after party plans to be as follows:

- After the race you will turn in your book like always at a given check in location. Your book will be time stamped. (You will not have to get out of your car)
- You will be given a fresh Hot To-Go meal for your team (We will ask for a team order no later than August 30th.
- Once you check in and get your team party meal, please head back to your central location for your own personal party!!!!
- We will ask that you Join us via a Zoom Invite, for our “After-Party” where we will announce our scores, listen to some guest speakers, announce our awards, share some fun videos from the day and have some fun entertainment.
- This year instead of selling tickets to drop in containers, we will instead have an online auction, which we will ensure everyone has the link and information prior to the event day. There will be a set time that evening in which the auction ends. Anyone can bid on items, regardless of whether they attended the event or not.
- We will not be selling after party tickets, given the change, however anyone is welcome to join you at your personal party, at your discretion.

Day of the Race

Teams will arrive at a kick-off location and should all arrive in one vehicle ready to race.

Volunteers will be in the parking lot to assign you to your parking spot. Teams will park at least one spot away from another vehicle and will only congregate at their own vehicle. Announcements and Instructions will be given using a speaker system outside of the location.

Teams will be lined up in the order in which they raised the most amount of money for the event. (Remember that this year, we have the ability for your team to do direct FB fundraising for our event. Please take advantage of this. Such an easy way to raise funds and it will help you to win the Race)

You will receive a clue book similar to past years, with Sponsor’s, Riddle’s and clues throughout the book. The back page will still consist of a passport where you will collect stamps for both finding a location and completing a challenge.

We ask that anytime you are around other team’s or the public during this event that out of an abundance of caution and respect for others, that you please where the mask you are provided (or your own) at those times. We will have volunteers at each location to help make sure your team is staying a safe distance during the challenges and they will be sure to keep any materials that may involve touching clean after each use.

Most likely, each location will be outside, so be prepared as this is a rain or shine event, and we are avoiding inside locations, so it could get messy!

Your team will report back for check in at a given location, at which point a volunteer will safely collect and time stamp your book. At this point the race has ended, and you will grab your to-go meal for your team and head back to your own personal after party location!

AFTER PARTY & RAFFLE

While we are unable to offer our traditional after party this year (please see the changes above) we are excited to introduce our online auction & raffle all participants, and their friends, family, and supporters (near & far!) will be able to enter into our drawings. Anyone can bid on items, regardless of whether they attended the event or not.

While we will not be selling after party tickets or hosting an in-person after party for everyone's safety, anyone is welcome to join you at your personal party, at your discretion.

RACE FUNDRAISING INCENTIVES

Team and Individual Fundraising incentives will be available to all players who exceed their fundraising minimum! While there is NO required fundraising to participate, we are aiming to raise more than $55,000 to support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation this year! As team's raise funds (each participant on a team contributes to the team goal), you have the opportunity to earn important hints & clues during the race that will assist your team

Top Fundraising Team

The top fundraising team will be given their Riddle Book and allowed to begin the race before any other team! All teams will be released in the order of final fundraising amounts. If your team raises $204 you will start ahead of a team that raises $203.  THAT MEANS EVERY FUNDRAISING DOLLAR COUNTS!

Skip a Riddle - $1,000 Raised!

Teams that raise $1,000 will get all of the above, PLUS a coveted “SKIP A RIDDLE” pass which will enable them to skip a riddle completely!

Skip a Challenge - $500 Raised!

Teams that raise $500 will get a PHONE HINT, EXTRA RIDDLE BOOK, and SKIP A CHALLENGE pass to skip the challenge once getting to a riddle location!

Extra Riddle Book - $150 Raised!

Teams that raise $150 will get a PHONE HINT and an EXTRA RIDDLE BOOK to facilitate puzzle solving and route planning;

Phone Hint - $50 Raised!

Teams that raise $50 or more will get one PHONE HINT allowing them to call in and ask a question during the race (The question can not be the exact location)

QUESTIONS

Questions about the Ultimate Riddle Race, event logistics, sponsorship opportunities, volunteering, and day-of experience should be directed to Greg Russell at grussell13@comcast.net

Questions about the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, registration, website, fundraising support, Facebook integration, and donation methods should be directed to Brett Curtis at bcurtis@crohnscolitisfoundation.org or 646-584-1513. 

SPONSORSHIP

The Ultimate Riddle Race is a prime opportunity for you to simultaneously support our mission and showcase your business to a wide array of participants who will be at the event and in locations throughout Calvert County. This unique, team event and race is a county-wide scavenger hunt that draws more than 500 attendees and supporters and, new this year, culminates in an exciting dinner and afterparty with live entertainment, drinks, dancing, raffles, and more! You can view our sponsorship packet and learn more about these opportunies here. 

RACE RULES

• Minimum of 2 riddlers per team with one team captain. At least one teammate must be 18+. The max number of teammates per team is the maximum number of people legally allowed to fit in ONE vehicle (i.e. a 7-person minivan can have 7 total teammates). If you'd like to register more than one team, you can do so.
• All team members must travel in a single vehicle throughout the race. Team members must stay together at Riddle sites.
• You do NOT have to solve the riddles in order.
• Teams are forbidden from intentionally or unintentionally hindering the performance of other teams IN ANY WAY, i.e. blocking another team’s vehicle, altering a Riddle site, etc..
• Teams must follow all traffic laws throughout the race. Any team determined to be speeding or driving recklessly will be disqualified.
• Teams must check in at a designated location and time with their completed, intact Riddle Book to be eligible to win.
• All disputes will be resolved by The Ultimate Riddle Race Committee.
• Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams.
• Do not cheat. Do not hinder another team. Please do not do anything to ruin the reputation of Calvert Crohn’s, The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation or this event.  The Ultimate Riddle Race committee reserves the right to modify or add to these rules as needed.
• A full FAQ will be posted and shared with all teams before the race.
• Questions about the race? Email Greg Russell at grussell13@comcast.net